Mike Hamilton is the 2019 winner of the Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Excellence Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Div. 2).
Why do you love teaching high school psychology?
What's not to love?! I get to teach the most relevant course that students take in their entire high school career. Each and every day we get to explore topics that have a direct and immediate impact on their lives. I've taught many social studies classes throughout my career, but psychology is hands down my favorite. One of the most rewarding opportunities that we have as psychology teachers is that we can use our course to help students learn how to learn. With each unit we teach, we put into action the scholarship of teaching and learning. In doing so, we foster the growth and development of cognitive and metacognitive skills in our students.
What advice do you have for newer teachers of high school psychology?
Seek out professional development opportunities. There are amazing workshops and conferences out there where you can learn from highly effective psychology teachers. Try to pursue those opportunities early and often. Some of the top opportunities available include the APA TOPSS workshops at Clark University and Oregon State University. There are a rising number of day-long regional conferences that emphasize best practices in the teaching of psychological science. You can find these opportunities by going to the TOPSS website. Additionally, if you teach Advanced Placement Psychology, there are intensive weeklong workshops available throughout the summer. I, like so many others, did not come from a psychology background and it was initially daunting to try to teach a field I only knew peripherally. There is no simple solution to that initial steep learning curve, but the goal should be to focus each year on improving your depth of understanding and mastery of psychological content. One recommendation is to reach out to a faculty member in the psychology department at a university in your area and ask them if they or members of their department have preview copies of texts that they are willing to donate to your psychology program. Fellow educators are generous with their time and expertise. Through doing this I've been able to get subject specific books for each of the units I teach (e.g., sensation and perception, cognition, abnormal psychology). It's been so valuable in building my course content as well as supplementing my teaching with unique examples. Lastly, reach out to people when you need help with content or lesson planning. There are so many people willing to help mentor new teachers of psychology and few things are as important to the successful development of a new teacher than great mentoring.
What does it mean to be recognized as an STP Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Excellence Award recipient?
It is truly humbling to be honored in this way and to be mentioned alongside some of the awe-inspiring teachers who have won this award in the past. I'm not sure I'm any more deserving of this award than any of the thousands of other high school psychology teachers out there, and any successes that I've had in the classroom are directly attributable to the mentors I've learned from through the years. I've been lucky to teach with and learn from exceptional teachers who were willing to take the time to nurture my development as a teacher. I'm grateful for the opportunities that I've had throughout the past two decades to meet hundreds of psychology teachers in various settings and I continue to learn from the many friends I've made along the way.